Yemen Sentences 3 to Death for Tourist Slayings

ZINJIBAR, Yemen —  Three Islamic militants were convicted and sentenced to death Wednesday for abducting 16 Western tourists and killing four of them during a botched rescue attempt by government troops late last year.

Three Britons and an Australian died when the troops attempted to free the hostages Dec. 29. Nine Britons, two Americans and an Australian survived the rescue attempt, which the government says it launched after learning the kidnappers had begun killing the captives. Some of the survivors disputed the government account, saying troops had fired indiscriminately.

Zein Abidine Mihdar and Abdullah Saleh Junaidy, both Yemenis, and Algerian Saleh abu Huraira were given death sentences. Ahmed Mohammed Atif received a 20-year sentence and his brother, Saad Mohammed Atif, was found innocent. The convicted men will be allowed to appeal the verdict.

Mihdar, 28, the leader of an Islamic militant group, called the sentence “unjust and unfair.”

The group has been targeted by a government crackdown since it forced villagers in the region to conform to its strict version of Islamic law.